


Romeo Is Bleeding

by out_there



Category: Sports Night
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-01-28
Updated: 2005-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-15 05:31:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/157522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_there/pseuds/out_there
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There had been times when Romeo Is Bleeding felt like Dan's personal theme song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Romeo Is Bleeding

**Author's Note:**

> Tom Waits and Danny-angst is my OTP. Okay, not really... but they are two tastes that go great together. Thanks to [](http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=pheobesmum)[****](http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=pheobesmum)for betaing. Here's[a copy of lyrics](http://community.livejournal.com/inthetallgrass/142490.html), if anyone's curious.

_(...but not so as you'd notice...)_

There had been times when Romeo Is Bleeding felt like Dan's personal theme song. Not that he ever imagined himself as that type of violent, dangerous anti-hero; but sometimes it felt as if the world would be okay, as if everything would be fine, as long as nobody could tell he was falling apart.

If he could just smile and joke, tell stories to entertain the crowds... If he could just hide it until he was alone, until he could lose his shit in peace, it would somehow be fine.

He's been seeing Abby long enough to know that isn't true. He's survived Draft Day and Rebecca coming back. He's survived Casey and Dana flirting and dating, and exploding into heartbreak, only to get back together.

He knows the Earth won't spin off its axis if someone notices the figurative blood dripping into his shoes.

But there are times when the old way seems easier. Times when he's splintering and shattering, and all he wants to do is smile at Abby and tell her he's fine. Part of him wants to do this therapy thing right, to talk and ache and heal, and the rest of him just wants to get good enough at lying that not even Abby can tell.

He wants to be able to joke about this year's list and his non-appearance on it. He wants to turn Rebecca and her blonde hair and the fact that Steve Sisco's back in NYC into an entertaining story, into something he can say at parties and have everyone laugh. He wants to watch Casey mentally preparing himself for marriage number two and not feel like a bad actor muddling his way through the role of best friend.

Dan's sick of his smile feeling forced, sick of his fingers feeling numb while his lungs burn. He's sick of his bitterness feeling sharp enough to cut, and he's sick of being angry when Casey's so happy. He's sick of doing his best to ignore Casey and Dana cooing at each other but most of all, he's sick of trying to switch off the low melody inside his head.


End file.
